Speed-changing mechanism.



No. 668,l72. Patented Fab. I9, I90I.

A. FISCHER &. A. T. 0TTO.

SPEED CHANGING MECHANISM.

(Application filed Nov. 28, 1896.)

(No Model.)

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' ATTORNEY warns ca. PHOTO-H1140" WASHINGTON n c llirnn Erarns arnrALEXANDER FISCHER AND ALBERT THEODORE OTTO, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SPEED CHANGING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 668,172, dated February19, 1901.

Application filed November 28, 1896. Serial No. 613,723. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, ALEXANDER FIsoHER and ALBERT THEODORE OTTO,citizens of the United States, and residents of New York, in the countyof New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Speed-Changing Mechanism, of which the following is aspecification.

Our invention relates to speed changing mechanism for varying therelative rate of revolution of a driving and a driven part wherein thevariation may be produced while the mechanism is in motion.

Our invention is especially applicable to road-vehicles wherein a smallmotor is used, being driven at a high and practically uniform speed,while the leverage of the motor on the traction-wheels must be varied tocompensate for the extreme variation in natural grades and for thedifierent conditions of roads; and our invention is also applicable forthe purpose of starting and stopping the vehicle without interruptingthe motion of the motor.

Our invention consists in certain novel features of reciprocatingclutch-actuating mechanism, hereinafter described and claimed, wherein ahigh-speed rotary motion is converted into a low-speed rotary motionthrough a mechanism reciprocating under variable movement, which may bevaried from a maximum stroke to an elimination of stroke while themachine is in motion.

The preferred form of apparatus embodying our invention is illustratedin the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sideelevation of an engine with our invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is aside elevation, on an enlarged scale, of a clutch suitable for use withour invention, showing the reverse side. Fig. 3 is an internal view ofthe same, and Fig. 4 is a crosssection on line as a: of Fig. 2.

. Throughout the drawings like reference characters indicate like parts.

We have shown our invention applied to a horizontal engine having thecylinder A, the shaft B, and the combined fiy-wheel and crank-disk F.The crank-pin E is set in the crank-disk, and to this crank-pin thedriving-rod G is j ournaled in the usual way. The other end of thedriving-rod G is conas shown.

nected to the adjustable swinging link H by means of the pivot 16. Thelink H is susspended by means of a pivot 14 at its upper end from theadjustable hanger 17, the other end of which is pivoted to theengineframe by shaft 00. The connecting-rod J has the pivot-block 1 uponits outer end, which pivot block engages a slot in the link H Thisconnecting-rod J reciprocates and oscillates slightly about theslide-block 15, which meshes with a longitudinal slot shown in theconnecting-rod and which is pivoted to a fixed projection from theengine-frame,

The other end of the connectingrod J is pivoted to the clutch-lever K,which has its lower end loosely mounted, so as to vibrate freely on thedriven shaft M.

Any suitable form of clutch may be employed to transmit motion from theclutchlever. K to the driven shaft M when said clutch-lever moves in onedirection and to release said driven shaftM when the clutch-lever movesin the opposite direction. We have illustrated a preferred form of suchclutch, which is more fully described in United States Letters PatentNo. 432,47 3. WVithout going more in detail into the description of saidclutch, we may say that it is composed of a clutch-disk L, rigidlyfastened to the driven shaft M and rotating therewith. This disk has acircular flange 9, within which are confined two semicircularclutch-segments 7 and 8, which are pivot-ally connected at one end,

.as best shown in Fig. 3, and have between their otherendsaprojection6,0f oblong crosssection, carried by the clutch-plate 4. Thisclutch-plate 4 has a projecting lug which is connected by means of thelink 5 with the clutch-lever K. A spiral spring connects the twoclutch-segments 7 and 8 and tends to draw them together. The mode ofoperation of the clutch results from the fact that when the clutch-leverK moves in a direction to draw the link 5 in the direction indicated bythe arrow in Fig. 2 the clutch-plate 4 is moved in a direction to causeits projection 6 to expand the segments 7 and 8 and cause them to gripthe inner surface of the flange 9 on the clutch-disk L; but the movementof the clutch-lever K in the opposite direction being limited by the pinon the segment 7 to which the spring 10 is secured the projection 6 .nolonger tends to expand the segments, and the spring 10 draws thesegments to gether, thereby freeing them from the flange 9 andpermitting the reverse motion of the clutch-lever K and clutch-plate 4to occur without compelling the clutch-disk L to follow. The slightdegree of motion of the plate 4 with reference to the clutch disk L andsegments 7 and 8 necessary to cause the spreading of the segments ispermitted by reason of the fact that said plate has an oval openingthrough which the shaft M and the boss of the clutch-disk L pass withouttouching said plate 4 except on the lower side of the boss, as shown inFig. 2. Such being the action of the reciprocating clutch, the operationof our invention is as follows: The position of the lever 17 maybecontrolled by means of the usual reversing lever and notched segment,(indicated in Fig. 1,) so as to raise and lower the link H in suchmanner that it may engage the slide-block I of the connecting-rod J atany point in the length of the slot in said link. The parts being in theposition shown in Fig. 1, with the slide-block I at middle position ofthe link H the reciprocation of the pivot 16 of the driving-rod G willbe transmitted to the connecting-rod J at half-speed and with half-*amplitude. This reciprocation of the connecting-rod 2 will cause acorresponding vibration of the clutch-lever K, and the driven shaft Mwill be given intermittent impulses of rotation of corresponding speed.If the hanger 1'7 and link H are lowered, the amplitude and speed ofthese impulses will be correspondingly reduced until they reach zero,when the pivot 14 coincides with the pivot of the slide-block LConversely, if the link is raised the amplitude and speed of the motorimpulses will be increased until they reach a maximum, when the pivot 16at the end of the driving-rod G coincides with the pivot of saidslide-block I It is evident, of course, that the clutch apparatus hereindisclosed may be duplicated and a number of clutches arranged to operateon the same shaft M.

Itis evident, of course, that various changes may be made in the detailsof construction illustrated without departing from the spirit and scopeof our invention. Other forms of engine and clutches might be employedand the means of shifting the link H might be varied; but all suchmodifications would still be within the limits of our invention.

Having, therefore, described our invention, what we claim as new, anddesire to protect by Letters Patent, isg In a speed-changing mechanism,the combination of a vibrating link, an adjustable fulcrum for saidlink, a driving-crank, a driving-rod pivoted to the free end of the linkand to the crank, a slide-block in said link,a driven shaft, areciprocating clutch therefor and a reciprocating rod pivoted at one endto the clutch-lever, and at the other end to the slide block.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,this 31st day of 1 October, A. D. 1896.

ALEXANDER FISCHER. ALBERT THEODORE OTTO. Witnesses:

W. D. FORBES, GUsTAvE PETERSON, Jr.

